Cannabis users who contracted Covid-19 had better outcomes and lower mortality compared to other people who did not use marijuana, according to new studies presented at a convention in Hawaii this week. A presentation of the study, based on a review of medical records from more than 320,000 people, was presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) in Honolulu.
“Marijuana smokers had greater effects and mortality than non-users,” the study authors wrote in their conclusion. “The effect of marijuana use can be attributed to its ability to inhibit the virus’s access to cells and prevent the release of inflammatory pro-cytokines, thereby alleviating cytokine release syndrome. “
To conduct the study, a team of researchers analyzed the knowledge of 322,214 patients from the National Inpatient Sample, a U. S. government knowledge base. The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (CDC) tracks hospital use and outcomes. Patients under 18 years of age or for whom data were missing from the knowledge base were excluded. of the study. Of the patients in the sample, 2,603 (less than 1%) reported using hashish.
Patients in the pattern were divided into two teams based on their marijuana use. Knowledge of the pattern was then used “to match marijuana users to non-users 1:1 for age, race, gender, and 17 other comorbidities, adding chronic lung disease. “
By comparing hashish users with non-users, the researchers concluded that hashish users “were younger and had a higher prevalence of smoking. “Among patients who did not use hashish, “other comorbidities, such as obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes mellitus were more prevalent. “
The research concluded that hashish users had a particularly lower mortality rate than non-users (2. 9% vs. 13. 5%). Cannabis users also had particularly lower rates of Covid-19-related headaches, such as intubation and acute respiratory failure. and multi-organ failure.
“In the univariate analysis, marijuana users had particularly low rates of intubation (6. 8% vs. 12%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (2. 1% vs. 6%), acute respiratory failure (25% vs. 52. 9%), and severe sepsis with organ failure (5. 8% vs. 12%). 12%). They also had a decrease in in-hospital cardiac arrest (1. 2% vs. 2. 7%) and mortality (2. 9% vs. 13. 5%).
After a 1:1 ratio, marijuana users had lower mortality and lower rates of intubation, ARDS, acute respiratory failure, and severe sepsis with organ failure.
The authors noted that the effects have clinical implications and called for further studies on the prospective link between hashish use and Covid-19 outcomes.
“The significant reduction in mortality and headaches warrants further investigation of the relationship between marijuana use and COVID-19,” the researchers wrote. “Our study highlights a topic for long-term studies for larger-scale trials, especially given the widespread use of marijuana. “.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
Until now, studies on possible associations between hashish and Covid-19 have been limited, online hash news source Marijuana Moment noted in a report on the new study. A 2022 study found that among hospitalized patients, hashish users had “lower severity of COVID-19. “” and “significantly improved health outcomes. ” Another study last year found that hashish use was linked to a lower risk of contracting Covid-19, but hashish use was also linked to more severe infections.
And an independent laboratory study conducted in 2022 by researchers at the University of Oregon concluded that hashish compounds prevented Covid-19 virus infection in human cells. Researchers are also exploring hashish as a treatment for Covid-19.
The new study, “Exploring the Relationship Between Smoking Marijuana and Covid-19,” was published this month in a peer-reviewed supplement to the CHEST Journal.